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EQA

386 Unit III Promoting Physiologic Health

A medication is a substance administered for the diagnosis,
cure, treatment, relief, or prevention of disease. In the health
care context, the words medication and drug are used inter-
changeably.
In the United States and Canada, medications are usu-
ally dispensed by the order of physicians and dentists. The
written direction for the preparation and administration of a
drug is called a prescription.
A drug may have four different names:
1. The generic (family) name, given before a drug becomes
official
2. The official name, the name under which it is listed in
one of the official publications (e.g., the United States
Pharmacopeia)
3. The chemical name, which describes the drug constituents
precisely
4. The trademark, or brand name, the name given by the drug
manufacturer. Because a drug may be manufactured by
several companies, it can have several trade names.
Medications are often available in a variety of forms.
Examples are given in Table 17-1 ■.
Drug Standards
Drugs may have natural (e.g., plant, mineral, and animal)
sources, or they may be synthesized in the laboratory. For
example, digitalis is plant derived; sodium chloride is a min-
eral; insulin has animal or human sources; and propoxyphene
hydrochloride (the analgesic Darvon) is synthesized in a
laboratory.
Drugs vary in strength and activity. Drugs must be
pure and of uniform strength if drug dosages are to be pre-
dictable in their effect. Therefore, drugs standards have been
developed to ensure uniform quality. In the United States,
official drugs are those designated by the federal Food, Drug,
and Cosmetic Act. These drugs are officially listed in the

TABLE 17-1
Types of Drug Preparations
TYPE DESCRIPTION TYPE DESCRIPTION
Aerosol spray A liquid, powder, or foam deposited Ointment (salve, A semisolid preparation of one or more
or foam in a thin layer on the skin by air pressure unction) drugs used for application to the skin and
mucous membrane
Aqueous solution One or more drugs dissolved in water
Paste A preparation like an ointment, but thicker
Aqueous One or more drugs finely divided in a and stiff, that penetrates the skin less than
suspension liquid such as water an ointment
Caplet A solid form, shaped like a capsule, coated Pill One or more drugs mixed with a cohesive
and easily swallowed material, in oval, round, or flattened shapes
Capsule A gelatinous container to hold a drug in Powder A finely ground drug or drugs; some are
powder, liquid, or oil form used internally, others externally
Cream A nongreasy, semisolid preparation used Suppository One or several drugs mixed with a firm
on the skin base such as gelatin and shaped for inser-
Elixir A sweetened and aromatic solution of tion into the body (e.g., the rectum); the
alcohol used as a vehicle for medicinal base dissolves gradually at body tempera-
agents ture, releasing the drug

Extract A concentrated form of a drug made from Syrup An aqueous solution of sugar often used
vegetables or animals to disguise unpleasant-tasting drugs

Gel or jelly A clear or translucent semisolid that lique-
fies when applied to the skin
Liniment A medication mixed with alcohol, oil, or
soapy emollient and applied to the skin
Lotion A medication in a liquid suspension
applied to the skin
Lozenge (troche) A flat, round, or oval preparation that dis-
solves and releases a drug when held in
the mouth
Tablet A powdered drug compressed into a hard
small disk; some are readily broken along a
scored line; others are enteric coated to pre-
vent them from dissolving in the stomach
Tincture An alcoholic or water-and-alcohol solution
prepared from drugs derived from plants
Transdermal patch A semipermeable membrane shaped in
the form of a disk or patch that contains a
drug to be absorbed through the skin over
a long period of time